Being in The Moment: A Time To Reflect

 There are moments afield with camera in hand when the experience stands apart separated from the ordinary and the routine by extraordinary circumstances. During those moments, words rarely capture the emotional uplifting one may sense. The feeling is often greater that what is observed. It becomes a time of reflection when memories from long ago are resurrected, and the hopes and dreams of tomorrow take on new importance. There is a blending of the two, however brief they may seem, when the events of nature bring into focus those fond memories of the past and those yet to come.

There are times my heart is coaxed into action by an overwhelming need to reconnect with what nature has to offer. Yet, far too easy it becomes to ignore such callings, and far too often have I missed extraordinary moments of the heart. Encouraging myself to seek out a chance rendezvous more often than not results in rediscovering the importance of reconnecting with nature. 

As I have grown older my heart has grown more thirsty for such things. Quenching that thirst can best be accomplished by making the time to place myself where nature offers, in all of her wonderful blends, the sweet air of awakening.

Being in the moment is about slowing down to observe and reflect on what nature gives, so as to open the places of the heart where memories are stored along with the emotions of a single moment in time.

Capturing the defining instant with a camera when light and heart are joined, well, that is just a small part of the rewards one receives for having been there.

Being in the Moment - Chasing The Sun - Part 2

 New BTC Video: Part 2 of  Being in the Moment - Chasing the Sun - A return overnight canoe trip to Barren River Lake where I am greeted with not only an amazing sunset, but an equally amazing sunrise the next morning.  

Being In The Moment - Chasing The Sun

 In order to truly find yourself in the moment, often requires following a simple axiom; Be willing to place yourself at that point of greatest potential. It is an axiom I learned from a former National Geographic photographer, Dewitt Jones, and many times employing this concept to my photographic efforts has resulted in some amazing opportunities.

As I continue Chasing The Sun as a new project, applying that basic principle of being at the right place at the right time along with being technically prepared has once again proven itself a viable approach to capturing unique moments of light. Making it work requires planning and forethought along with some timely luck. 

Part 1 has now been posted. Please enjoy!

Part 2 of this project will take me to a location I have visited a good number of times the past few years, Barren River Lake. The plan is to canoe into a new campsite and be ready for what nature may present. While pursuing this project, I will explore how the sun offers itself as a photographic entity. The nature of this will require I photograph sunsets and sunrises, but not exclusively, for I will also attempt to capture how the morning light or evening light indirectly affects the landscape. Those kind of shots are often the most difficult to plan for.

Being In The Moment - A New Project Series

 The view materialized out of a moment of insight, a single flash of time and place caught from the edge of my eye. All of it, a sky filled with clusters of brilliant white clouds drifting across is face, an old weathered fence stretching along the flowered country scene, a tangled spit of woods searching for the breeze atop a shallow hill, and colors of a landscape filled with crisp and clean contrasts, all of it at once came into view stirring an instinctive reaction from within. 

My Jeep slowed as I applied brakes, then rolled to a stop. The gears rattled as I shifted into reverse to backup a few dozen yards so I could step outside. The total scene more clearly came into view as all the elements filled my vision, and my heart told me, '...this is the moment...'  I stood silent alongside the road...in the moment...soaking in the profound simplicity of the scene, one possessed with all the ingredients for a fine landscape, but even more so, it possessed intangible abilities to create that rare, personal experience of being in the moment.

Being in the Moment. When it comes down to a simple definition of what Beyond The Campfire represents as an outdoor/photography site blog, being in the moment best describes what it is all about. It took me a while to realize just how much so, and only recently did this idea make itself known. I suppose I unknowingly knew it deep inside, but somehow managed to miss the mark while attempting to define the nature of this site. 

Recently, I just finished a fantastic project, The Ansel Adams Project, where I sought out photographic opportunities that would translate well into Ansel Adams style of black and white images. It is the kind of project that never actually ends, I just refocus in another direction. I learned a great deal about myself, about photography, and about just how important being in the moment meant while chasing after Ansel Adams style of images. It was not only a fun and exciting project, it opened my eyes to a whole new realm of what I am capable of achieving.

Searching for a new project theme often requires a lot of effort and thought. This in the moment theme at first glance offers a wide range of possibilities and challenges, but the kind of challenges I thrive on. I love being outdoors, canoeing, backpacking, or just a simple walk in the woods. Sharing those moments help to reinforce just how important participating in them can become.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this concept plays out. Hope all of you follow along as I chase after not only photographic opportunities, but outdoor adventures as well. I can see how my YouTube site can benefit from such an undertaking and plan on creating a series of video programs that chronicle the adventure. The first in the series, Coming soon; Chasing The Sun. 

Come and join me, beyond the campfire, as I begin a new and exciting project called, Being In The Moment.